BEDFORD – Bedford, Indiana, is the Limestone Capital of the World and is famous for the limestone used to build landmark buildings around the country. It annually celebrates its heritage during the Limestone Heritage Festival. On June 28 and 29, the town pulls out the stops and celebrates! Part of that celebration includes an educational /historical walk through some of Bedford’s finest examples of limestone carvings and buildings.
This year, on Saturday, June 29, the Festival will include the Limestone Volkswalk (people’s walk). Teena Ligman will lead a three—or six-mile walk to highlight some of the most outstanding examples of limestone architecture.
The group will meet behind Hardee’s Restaurant at 9 a.m. to walk. Hardees is located at 1510 16th Street in Bedford. Those attending are asked to park behind the restaurant or in adjacent lots. The group will leave from Hardees and wind through two historic cemeteries—one of which has been featured in national magazines for its incredible limestone carvings.
The walk goes through many neighborhoods with historic limestone homes and churches—many buildings dating to the mid-1800s. Dogs are not allowed in the cemeteries, so we recommend you do not bring your dogs on this walk.
The walk circles the square, which has some amazing architecture and buildings and, because of the festival, will have some interesting activities going on. We will stop along the way to visit the limestone photo contest and the limestone carving contest, which will have actual live carvers at work. You can come back later to visit the craft/farmers market, live music, food vendors, etc.
There is a map with descriptions, but this is a guided walk, and Ligman will stop often to add additional interpretation of the history of places of interest along the route. The first three miles will include mostly the Beech Grove and Green Hill Cemeteries and the neighborhoods around them. At that point, people can return to the starting point.
Those who wish to continue for another 3 miles will do a loop around past St. Vincent Church and the Zahn Historic District and the Courthouse Square and then north on Lincoln Avenue and back up to the Northside Historic District to the start point with stops, the longer walk may take three hours or more.
For more information, contact Teena Ligman at 812-278-0139.
